Singapore Microsimulation Model to Assess Interventions to Improve Diet

To tackle the sharp rise in chronic diseases and its risk factors, the Singapore government has embarked on a series of initiatives aimed to improve diet quality. This study proposes to develop a simulation model to quantify the short and long-term costs and benefits of food policies aimed to improve diet quality. The model will be tailored to Singapore’s ethnically diverse population and can evaluate a wide range of diet interventions from multiple stakeholder perspectives and for selected population subsets. To meet this objective, we will use local datasets from TRUST, linked to the Multi-Ethnic Cohort study, to estimate the effects of diet on the risk of developing chronic diseases, as well as the costs associated with these conditions. We will use this model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of promising food policies identified in partnership with the Health Promotion Board. This effort will contribute to a greater understanding of actionable and cost-effective interventions that promote healthier foods and healthy eating habits among Singaporeans. It also has significant potential to reduce Singapore’s disease burden and extend healthy and functional lifespan of the population by identifying policies most likely to be good value for money.